Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"

[alaskaleftybass]

Niiiiiice! Bass, eh?

The A-4 patch the LT on the left caught my eye.

View attachment 3120065

Whoooooa what? A-4D's were all upgraded to E's by the 80's AFAIK. There must be a back story. You can see the dates on the patch, 56-68. Maybe his dad flew them.

At breakfast, the guys told me that these were the most brand new F-18 Super Hornets, and I as a civilian couldn't even look into the cockpit! They said all new avionics, stuff we don't share with the rest of the world and keep us ahead of the game, like we ALWAYS have been!

 

[BadExample]

That tall pilot looks like he wouldn’t have a lot of headroom.

You can’t be over 6.4’ standing, 3.3’ sitting.

Invalid Link Removed

The Navy always has waivers you can sign. LTJG Pagenkoff (SP?) signed off on the height requirement for an A-4 and got his knee caps sent down to his shins and his legs at the knee joint bent sideways when he ejected. I saw the SAR photo's... pretty ugly.

I knew another guy that couldn't go to sea for over 30 days. He got dogged out on all the short boat rides and had to get out of his rack, then back in to roll over He also played PBA (Philippine Basketball Association, pro level) on weekends.

 

[BadExample]

At breakfast, the guys told me that these were the most brand new F-18 Super Hornets, and I as a civilian couldn't even look into the cockpit! They said all new avionics, stuff we don't share with the rest of the world and keep us ahead of the game, like we ALWAYS have been!

Years ago, my brother told me the new helmets would be very advanced (the old already were). I'm pretty sure those are also well protected.

 

[Bflat]

A trumpet player I played with 20 years ago, used to play with Aretha and told me one night he was playing on a big stage with her and right in the middle of the song Respect when she was singing the part RESPECT she fell in the orchestra pit and he said she didn't miss a single Letter and finished the song in the pit......he said he had a hard time playing the horn, because they were laughing so hard.........he was full of Motown stories, always fun to hear them......sad she gone now

 

[BadExample]

Al's here now, he'll straighten us out

 

[Al Kraft]

Niiiiiice! Bass, eh?

The A-4 patch the LT on the left caught my eye.

View attachment 3120065

Whoooooa what? A-4D's were all upgraded to E's by the 80's AFAIK. There must be a back story. You can see the dates on the patch, 56-68. Maybe his dad flew them.

That's an odd patch as I seem to recall the original A-4 actually used a D in it's early designation (like A4D-X) and the version these guys would have flown would have likely been A-4C's. I may be wrong but I don't recall the D designation being used during the series letter changes probably to avoid confusion with the original version designation using the D as it did in a non-T/M/S kind of way (which may have stood for delta wing?).

These guys have most recently been assigned to CVW 17 and deployed on the CVN-71 (USS Theodore Roosevelt) as far as I know.

 

[BadExample]

It seems their earned a lot of respect in Viet Nam with both Skyhawks and later, the Man Eaters. That squadron has certainly been around the block!

 

[Al Kraft]

Years ago, my brother told me the new helmets would be very advanced (the old already were). I'm pretty sure those are also well protected.

They are and they are.

It seems their earned a lot of respect in Viet Nam with both Skyhawks and later, the Man Eaters. That squadron has certainly been around the block!

I think they have close to 70 years of service - all of it distinguished. And since you mentioned the Corsair II's I'm pretty sure that 113 started life as fighter squadron with the original Corsair, and were re-designated an attack squadron when they went to A-4's. They later got the new Strike Fighter VFA designation when they went to Hornets.

EDIT: Believe this or not I was part of the NAVAIR Program Office team that outfitted these early squadrons and the Connie for the first carrier deployment of Hornets back in the early to mid 80's. Those were a couple of the busiest years of my life.

 

[BadExample]

They are and they are.

I think they have close to 70 years of service - all of it distinguished. And since you mentioned the Corsair II's I'm petty sure that 113 started life as fighter squadron with the original Corsair, and were re-designated an attack squadron when they went to A-4's. They later got the new Strike Fighter VFA designation when they went to Hornets.

EDIT: Believe this or not I was part of the NAVAIR Program Office team that outfitted these early squadrons and the Connie for the first carrier deployment of Hornets back in the early to mid 80's. Those were a couple of the busiest years of my life.

I believe the edit!

Every time I look at the history of these old squadrons, I am amazed at what they did, seemingly with so little. Where would we be without them? I dunno. I don't want to know. I have no clue what the flight deck was like under GQ at war. Anyone who has stood by an F-4 at idle, much less at high power, or watched a Man Eater slurp water off the deck might prefer a fox hole

 

[fnordlyone]

I've never been that young; old and bitter straight out the box.
Hey, grumps; anyone have a favorite black speaker surround caulk? Have a pair of Yamaha S8M's and one of the mid speakers has a bit of cracking around edge-- that I'd like to repair (I mean their barely broken in). I'm talking paper cone to particle board on exterior of baffle gap of 1/4 inch.
never tried any,
f!

 

[BadExample]

You want to fill the gap between the frame and hole? Or fix the surround?

 

[Al Kraft]

I believe the edit!

Every time I look at the history of these old squadrons, I am amazed at what they did, seemingly with so little. Where would we be without them? I dunno. I don't want to know. I have no clue what the flight deck was like under GQ at war. Anyone who has stood by an F-4 at idle, much less at high power, or watched a Man Eater slurp water off the deck might prefer a fox hole

First time on a flight deck during flight ops was the most humbling and at the same time frightening experience of my life. Everywhere you look there is something that could kill you without missing a beat and it's all in motion as if you didn't exist - not to mention you're very puny compared to the ocean you could easily fall into. Once you get the rules and choreography down there is a real beauty to it, but there is never a single moment when you don't have to have your head on a swivel and be maintaining 100% situational awareness. To think that the average age on the flight deck might be barely, but not always, a number out of the teens, makes it all that much more amazing.

There aren't a lot jobs I've ever seen that are more demanding or involve continuous danger like work on a busy flight deck. The level of physical fatigue is further exacerbated by the close proximity to aircraft which aren't exactly helping contribute to a cool or quiet work environment.

 

[BadExample]

First time on a flight deck during flight ops was the most humbling and at the same time frightening experience of my life. Everywhere you look there is something that could kill you without missing a beat and it's all in motion as if you didn't exist - not to mention you're very puny compared to the ocean you could easily fall into. Once you get the rules and choreography down there is a real beauty to it, but there is never a single moment when you don't have to have your head on a swivel and be maintaining 100% situational awareness. To think that the average age on the flight deck might be barely, but not always, a number out of the teens, makes it all that much more amazing.

There aren't a lot jobs I've ever seen that are more demanding or involve continuous danger like work on a busy flight deck. The level of physical fatigue is further exacerbated by the close proximity to aircraft which aren't exactly helping contribute to a cool or quiet work environment.

During peace time

 

[GonePlaid]

That's an odd patch as I seem to recall the original A-4 actually used a D in it's early designation (like A4D-X) and the version these guys would have flown would have likely been A-4C's. I may be wrong but I don't recall the D designation being used during the series letter changes probably to avoid confusion with the original version designation using the D as it did in a non-T/M/S kind of way (which may have stood for delta wing?).

These guys have most recently been assigned to CVW 17 and deployed on the CVN-71 (USS Theodore Roosevelt) as far as I know.

We had 2 squadrons of A4s on the Enterprise in '67 but I never noticed a suffix. Doesn't mean there wasn't one, though.

 

[GonePlaid]

First time on a flight deck during flight ops was the most humbling and at the same time frightening experience of my life. Everywhere you look there is something that could kill you without missing a beat and it's all in motion as if you didn't exist - not to mention you're very puny compared to the ocean you could easily fall into. Once you get the rules and choreography down there is a real beauty to it, but there is never a single moment when you don't have to have your head on a swivel and be maintaining 100% situational awareness. To think that the average age on the flight deck might be barely, but not always, a number out of the teens, makes it all that much more amazing.

There aren't a lot jobs I've ever seen that are more demanding or involve continuous danger like work on a busy flight deck. The level of physical fatigue is further exacerbated by the close proximity to aircraft which aren't exactly helping contribute to a cool or quiet work environment.

I used to go up on the island during ops-day or night. Amazing to watch.

 

[GonePlaid]

This morning I met four F-18 pilots and they invited me to breakfast. They were on their way back from Anchorage doing an exercise. They were tne nicest guys and were very respectful when they found out I'm a vet. It was such a pleasure talking to them.

View attachment 3120030

After having breakfast we watched them from a distance, couldn't be inside the gate. They told us this was the 2017 Super Hornet and the inside was so advanced you had to have a current clearance to even look inside! Here's the video. This was an exciting day for me!

What? No Blue Angels aerobatics? Kidding. Very impressive and cool guys.

 

[BadExample]

We had 2 squadrons of A4s on the Enterprise in '67 but I never noticed a suffix. Doesn't mean there wasn't one, though.

You should look up some of the youtube A-4 viet nam videos. Pretty impressive.

 

[GonePlaid]

You should look up some of the youtube A-4 viet nam videos. Pretty impressive.

We had an A4 jockey come back onto the E after taking a 37 mm shell through the wing, luckily missing anything vital. He did a practice approach next to the ship and, since everything was working, he brought it aboard. They brought the a/c down into the hangar bay, roped it off so no one got too close(no phone cameras in '67)and he went to debriefing. Afterwards he came down and stood up through the hole and had his picture taken by the ship's photographer. He then went back upstairs and turned in his wings.

 

[BadExample]

3 fuel stores on the A-4, one in each hollow wing, and one in a rubber bladder behind the pilots ass. There are some really amazing stories (and videos) of the wings getting shot up without injury or ejection. A lot of those old birds came beck with many holes in them.

 

[BadExample]

I think they have close to 70 years of service - all of it distinguished. And since you mentioned the Corsair II's I'm petty sure that 113 started life as fighter squadron with the original Corsair, and were re-designated an attack squadron when they went to A-4's. They later got the new Strike Fighter VFA designation when they went to Hornets.

Ehem, mostly WESTPAC